The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-01-08
A FAMILY GRACE.
BY MRS. HELEN e. sTARRETT.

A few years ago little poem was
paper, which at once began to be copied
far and wide. Evidently it had touched
some common heart experience and thus
won immediate and widespread recogni-
ton, yet it was the narration in verse of a
very simple little story. The opening
verses represented the farmers wife
YEARLY contemplating the tolls and cares
of the day that lay before her, and the
refrain OF each verse was:
"'Tis wonder girls will we'd"
But evening came and with it the farm
er, who. as he prepares for supper, praises
his wife's neat kitchen and the savory
meal she has in readiness for him, and
then he says that no other farmer in all
the country round has such smart, good
wife as he, and that all the neighbors
know it and envy him his happy home;
all of which so changes the feelings of
the farmers wife that she forgets her
complaints and WEAKNESS in rejoicing
that she has such q good, kind husband,
and the conclusion she finally expresses
is:
" Ills no wonder girls will We'd
All of which conveys simply and beauti-
fully the lesson that there is no sweet
ener of daily toll like loving appre-
ciativeness. 1t is a grace of the spirit
that is especially valuable and uplifting
in the home, and that should be carefully
cultivated and frequently permitted ex-
preston. Every one knows by expert
ence the effect, even upon the physical
strength, of words of appreciation and
encouragement. The story is familiar of
the fireman who was attempting to scale
a perilous ladder in order to save hu-
man life jeopardized in burning build
ing. He seemed to waver and be almost
ready to abandon his attempt, when some
one in the crowd below cried. " Cheer
himi" The crowd caught at the sug-
gestion and sent up cheer after cheer,
which SO re-invigorated the almost ex-
hausted man that he redoubled his efforts
and energy and the jeopardized life was
saved. There is scarcely any human be-
ing who is not susceptible to the effect of
words of encouragement and apprecia.
ton. Few advance so far in any path of
success that they are beyond caring for
such words, and scarcely any are so
callous, through ignorance or oppression,
that they can not be inspired to effort by
words of kindness and encouragement.
But it is in the home especially that the
grace of appreciativeness is most valu-
able and beautiful. Much of the work
pertaining to home life is monotonous
and wearing, and this is true of the
work both of wife and husband. Unless
loving appreciation sweetens and elevates
daily toll married life is In great danger
Of degenerating into humdrum, prosaic,
depressing routine of care and work. The
husband is apt to make everything SUBJ
servient to his getting to business in the
morning, and in the evening he comes
home with exhausted vitality and wishes
only for an opportunity to rest. But if
he have an appreciatiye heart of love for
the wife who has all day "stayed by the
stuff" he can easily brighten all the at
mosphere of the home by few words
that will show that he can forget himself
to think of her and her cares and tolls.
He can let her know how glad ne is to
reach the haven OF home after the days
turmoil; he can take notice of the pleas
ant, orderly house and the well appointed
table, and give his wife credit for these
good results of her labor. Or if she has
been prevented from accomplishing all
that might be desirable in Sc respects
he can tighten her anxiety and comfort
her heart by refraining from fault-fnd-
ing, and by words of palliation for what
ever may be unaccomplished. Better
is dinner Of herbs where love is than a
stalled OK with strife" sail the inspired
writer, and no fact Of home or married